The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that has a mechanism for appropriately attaching and detaching a developing device and a developer container to and from a main body housing, the developer container supplying a developer to the developing device.
An image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier has a developing device for supplying a developer (toner) to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum, and a developer container (toner container) for replenishing the developer to the developing device. A user is allowed to mount the developing device and the developer container detachably to a main body housing of the image forming apparatus. For example, when there is only a small amount of developer remaining in the developer container, the container, which is already mounted in the image forming apparatus, is removed from the main body housing in order to be replaced with a new developer container. The developing device as well is sometimes removed from the main body housing in order to be replaced with a new one.
In a small image forming apparatus in which, for example, various machines need to be disposed densely, an in-machine layout for allowing a developing device and a developer container to be removed individually from a main body housing of the image forming apparatus is adopted. Examples of the in-machine layout include a layout in which the developing device is removed from a front surface of the housing and the developer container from a rear surface.
In the image forming apparatus adopting this layout, it is expected that the developing device is removed from the main body housing, although the developer container is mounted to the main body housing. In this case, the developer scatters from a replenishing port of the developer container, resulting in a contamination of the main body housing or an area surrounding the image forming apparatus.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus in which a developing device and a developer container can appropriately be removed from a main body housing.